Air conditioning unit



July 28,1942. B. w. JEWELL 2,290,973

- AIR CONDITIONINGUNIT I Filed Nov. 13, 1939 I I 3 Sheets-Sheetl I f BYY I E55". flwM' z km A TTORNE Y5.

July 28, 1942. 5. w. JEWELL AIR CONDITIONING-UNIT ,Filed No v. 13,- 1939:5 Sheets-Sheet 2' I I I I I I I I I I .I I I I I I llll .l Tll llll II4 1:01am? Ks.

July 28, 1942. B. 'w. JEWELL 2,290,973

AIR CONDITIONING UNIT Filed Nov. 13, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 3 a a 0 Q and!Im -r] 11v VENTOR fer/74rd J4. Jwe/Z. 31 mm, at

A TTORNEY ferred to as the front thereof, with Patented July 28, 19 42 TOFFICE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT Bernard W. Jewell, Dayton, Ohio, assignorto Chrysler Corporation,

ration of Delaware Detroit, Mich., a corpo- Appllcation November 13,1939 Serial No. 303,968 I 4 Claims.

My present invention relates to air conditioning units, particularlyunits of the type adapted to be mounted upon a window ledge or in anopen-, ing in a wall of the room to be conditioned, the unit accordinglybeing provided with; an air. cooled condenser traversed by a stream ofoutside air for the purpose of cooling and condensing the refrigerant. x4 The principal object of the present invention is to provide means inan air cooled unit whereby fresh air may be supplied at will or room airexhausted at will. A second object of the present invention is toprovide means whereby the volume I of air traversing the cooling' anddehumidifying surfaces during operationthereof'remains substantiallyconstant regardless of the amount of fresh air admitted to the unit, inorder to prevent the accumulation of ice and frost upon the cooling anddehumidifying surfaces as would be the case if the supply of fresh airto the unit lessened the amount of air traversing such surfaces. I is toprovide means whereby the ventilation of a room may be accomplished byexhausing there from vitiated room air, and means whereby suchventilation may be accomplished without the continued expense ofoperating the compressor and compressor motor and without possibility.of

A further object of the present invention some of the foregoing objectsare accomplished.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, and Figs. 7,

the preferred form of unit is disclosed as comprising acasing of whichthe major portion is mounted inside of the plane of the window l andwhich is supported upon the window ledge ii the unit being retainedthereon by bracket I2 abutting the outeredge of the window ledge andwindow sash retaining means l3 mounted upon the top of the unit. Theunit comprises an evaporating compartment and a condensing compartmenti6 separated by a vertical, insulated partition l7. Positioned 'withinthe evaporating compartment i5 is an evaporator coil 38, the coil l8being in refrigerant flow relationship with a condenser coil is and acompressor 2@ in condensing compartment I 6, many details of therefrigerating system, including liquid line, suction line, expansionvalve, etc., being omitted as unnecessary to a proper understanding ofthe present invention. The evaporator coil I8 comprises cooling anddehumidifying surfaces including freezing moisture on the cooling anddehumidifying surfaces.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention shouldbe more readily apparent from a study of the following specificationtaken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeralsrefer to'like parts throughout.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of the present invention,with parts broken away to show details thereof; Y

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the unit shown in Fig. 1, with parts brokenaway to show details thereof; I

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the unit, the evaporator or interiorsection of the unit being reparts broken away to' show details;

' Fig. 4 is a partial, vertical section taken substantially along line4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a front view with parts broken away of a modified form of theinvention; 1

Fig. 6 is a side elevation with partsbroken away of the modified formshown in Fig. 5; and, Fig. '7 is a wiring diagram adaptable to bothforms horizontal tubes 2| and vertical fins 22. and preferably extendsacross the upper front portion of the unit, and the condenser coilpreferably comprises horizontal tubes 23 and vertical fins 26 andextends across the entire outer face of the unit.

The condensing compartment i6 houses not only the compressor 20, butalso houses a compressor driving motor 25, the armature shaft of whichisconnected to the crankshaft of thecompressor. The compressor is mounteduponone side of a blower housing 26', and the motor 25 is mounteduponthe other side thereof, the blower housing being preferably formedof cast iron or cast aluminum of suflicient strength and rigidity tomaintain the motor and compressor in alignment. The blower housing 26comprises an involute central portion 21 and a motormounting flange 28supported thereon at one side by integral connecting portions 29 and 30between which are openings for the flow of air thereof the inventionshowing means whereby through into the involute portion 21; a compressormounting flange 3| supported by integral connecting portions 32, 33',and 34 between which are openings for the flow ofv air therethrough intothe involute portion 21; and an outlet portion 35 having itsmouthabutting or substantially abutting the vertical fins 24 of the condensercoil l9so that air forced from the involute portion 21 by a blower wheel(not shown) therein,

connected to the driving shaft of' motor 25, will be forced outwardlythrough a limited=central portion of the condenser coil I 9 andairwill'be other end supporting appropriate feet 42 cast integrally withthe blower housing '25, so that most of the vibrations from thecompressor and the blower and the noises of operation thereof will.not-be transmitted to the casing of the unit.

The evaporator compartment 15 houses .not only the evaporator coil it,but also houses an evaporator blower motor 45 having a doubleexhaustdamper ill is open. Some of the air.

may pass through the coil It, thus causing greater circulationwithin theroom and assisting the unit in removing stale air which might otherwisebe trapped in dead air portions of the room. The exhaust damper 80 maybe operated by rotating a shaft 62 to which is'fixed an exhaust dampercontrol knob 63 so that the proportion -of the output of blowers and 4-1to be exhausted may be controlled at'will.

Fig. 7 shows a control circuit whereby the-partial opening of exhaustdamper 60 results in ended shaft drivingly connected to the blowerwheels of blowers 45 and.4'l, which discharge upwardly into the upperhalf of the evaporator compartment containing the coil l8. The motor 45and its blowers and blower housings are mounted in the lower half of theevaporator compartment [5, and theevaporator coil is separated therefromby a horizontal partition 48 providing a' plenum chamber atlthe rear of.the evaporator coil so that air will be induced to flow uniformlythroughout the entire length of coil l8 and through-an outlet grill 49into the room to be conditioned.

The air which is conditioned by the evaporator coil l8 would ordinarilycomprise room air admitted to the unit through an inlet, opening 50 ofsubstantial size, provided in the bottom pan 4| across the bottom of theevaporating com-- partment l5, inside of which is preferably mounted afilter 5| for the purpose of removing dust and foreign objects from theair. Some fresh air may be provided, however, through afresh air duct 52which extends beneath the blower housing 26, the duct being provided byforcing a portion of the pan 4| upward into the condensing compartmentIS. A portion of the inverted trough so formed in the bottom of the unitmay be closed by welding or otherwise afflxing a plate 53 (Figs. 2 and4) extending from adjacent the bracket I2 to the lower edge of thepartition H, but the outer end of the trough remains open to provide aninlet for the flow of fresh air into the evaporator compartment throughan opening in partition H which may or may not be closed by a ventilatordoor 55.

stopping the compressor motor and the connected condenser blower andcompressor, since continued operation of the compressor and itsconnected refrigerating system without a substantial flow of airtraversing the cooling. and dehumidifying surfaces of the evaporatorcoil l 8.

might result in the freezing of moisture on the fins 22 and tubes 2|withpossible damage therto and with the certain result that subsequentairflow therethrough would be prevented until the ice melted.Accordinglythe unit is controlled by a circuit including power line I0and ground line H, the power line I0 being connected to a main wire 12in which is mounted the switch element I3 of an evaporator blower motorcontrol switch, operated by a control button 14. The evaporator blowermotor 45 is connected to the main wire 12 through a branch 15, and tothe ground line .H through a wire 16. Main wire 12 The position of door55 may be regulated by turning ashaft 58 by means of the ventilator doorcontrol knob 51. Partial or-complete opening of the ventilator door 55controls the amount of fresh air admitted to the unit but does notsubstantially alter the total amount of air which may be forced throughthe evaporator coil l8 since opening of door 55 decreases the flow ofair through filter 5| and vice versa.

The portion of the evaporator compartment 15 above the partition 48 andinto which the blowers- 46 and 41 discharge comprises a plenum chamberas previously described, from which air may be exhausted by opening theexhaust damper 60 pivotally mounted adjacent an opening 6| in thepartition IT. The resistance to airflow is connected to the compressormotor through an exhaust damper switch 11 and a compressor motor switchoperatedby a control button 19,

the. compressor motor. 25 being connected to ground line H through awire 80. It is to be noted that the evaporator blower motor switch 13,exhaust damper switch II, and compressor motor switch II are in seriesso that the compressor motor cannot be operated unless the evaporatorblower motor is operating and the exhaust damper 50 is closed. Thisinsures a full' supply of air through the evaporator coil beforerefrigerant is expanded therein, so that the formation of ice on theevaporator coil isprevented. In the 'event that it is desired that theroom air be cleared by exhausting room air through the exhaust damperBlythe exhaust damper control knob 63 may be rotated, thereby openingthe exhaust damper 60 and simultaneously opening switch 11 mounted uponthe shaft 62, which causes the compressor motor to cease operating eventhough the compressor motor switch 18 may be closed. If it is' desiredthat the ev aporator blower motor operate to recirculate room airwithout cooling thereof, this may be accomplished by opening compressormotor switch II through the condenser coil I9 is preferablysubstantially less than the resistance to airflow through the evaporatorcoil l8, principally due to the relative thickness of the two coils andalso because of the resistance of the outlet grill 49 in front of theevaporator coil, so that most of the air from the blowers 46 and 41 isejected through the condensing compartment when the and closing exhaustdamper 50, the switch 18 preventing operation of the compressor eventhough switch 11 is now closed. Since the evaporator motor is inparallel with the compressor motor 25 and switches 11 and 18,-the switch13 will operate the evaporator blower motor alone when one or the otherof'switches I1 and I8 is open. The evaporator blower motor 45 may alsooperate to provide fresh air along with a certain proportion ofrecirculated air without cooling and dehumidifying thereof whenever itis desired, since the operation of ventilating door 55 has no effectupon the control circuit.

When the evaporator coil I8 is in operation the moisture which iscondensed from th air passing thereover collects in a drain pan fromwhich it may be drained through a moisture disand into one of the inletopenings of the involute 'in several respects, foremost of which is thatthe evaporator compartment l comprises an upper inlet chamber and alower outlet chamber for the conditioned or recirculated air. In thisform the partition is bent outwardly along its upper edge-so as toprovide a passage 90 for the admission of air from the-room beingconditioned, through a grill 9| provided in the top of the beconditioned so that outside air may be sup-' plied to and rejected fromthe unit for the purpose of dissipating heat therefrom comprising acasing, a partition dividing said casing into a condensing compartmentand an evaporating compartment, a condensing assembly comprising acompressor motor; a condenser blower and a compressor, each operativelyconnected to said compressor motor, and a condenser arranged in'refrigerant-flowrelationship with said c'ompressor, the condenser blowerbeing so arranged with respect to said condenser'as to cause a stream ofoutside 'air to. flow thereover and cool the compressed refrigerantpassed therethrough, an evaporating assembly comprising an evaporatorconnected in refrigerant-flow relationship with unit. The inlet 99admits air to a vertical filter 92 positioned adjacent the evaporatorcoil l8, and air which is drawn from the room through the filter 92 andthe coil I 8 is drawn downward through openings 93 in the partition 48which divides the evaporator section into two parts. The blowers 46 and41 have their outlets directed toward the front of the unit anddischarge directly into the room through outlet grills- 94! so that theconditioned air is discharged with greater velocity than in the previousmodifica tion. Another difference is that fresh air'may be admittedthrough the fresh air inlet duct- 52 provided by cutting an opening 91inthe outer por,-' tion of the lower surface of the unit and welding orotherwise aflixing an inverted trough-shaped member 98 beneath the"casting. 26, with the inner end thereof adjacent'an opening 99 in thelower part of partition 11. The ventilating door 55 prevents theadmission of fresh air when in. vertical position and admits acorresponding amount of recirculated room air through an opening I90 inthe front'portion of the bottom pan 4| of the unit, or when inJ-acentral position admits a certain proportion of fresh air andrecirculated air directly to the blowers. 'In this form of theinventionit is seen that the intensely conditioned air from theevaporator coil I8 is tempered by air admitted through openings 99 orI00, or both, and intimately associated therewith by the blower wheelsbefore being elected into the room.

Another differenc is that the exhaust damper said compressor and saidcondenser, an evaporator blower motor,'and an evaporator bloweroperatively connected to said evaporator blower motor, said evaporatorblower and said evaporator being so arranged that the evaporator blowernormally causes a flow of room air through said evaporator and into theroom, an

exhaust damper forming a. portion of said partition and being soarranged with' respect to said evaporator blower and evaporator that,when opened,- som of the room air circulated by said evaporator bloweris exhausted into the condensing compartment and'thence into the outsideatmosphere, and a circuit for controlling said motors comprising a firstbranch for supplying power to said evaporator blower motor and a is sopositioned as substantially to exclude air.

from passing through the evaporator coil 3 when opened by operation ofthe control knob 63, which results in stopping the compressor, and theevaporator blowers cause air to be exhausted from the room by flowingthrough the grill 9!; through the exhaust opening 6| and outward throughthe coil l9 by the pressure built up within the room upon continuedoperation of the blowers 46 and 41. The control circuit .of Fig. 7 andits functions apply in the same man ner as previously described withrespect to the first modification.

Having described preferred embodiments of my invention it should beapparent to those skilled in the art that the same permits ofmodifications in arrangement and detail, which modifications whencovered by the following claims are considered to be a part of myinvention.

I claim:

. 1. An air cooled air conditioning unit adapted to be associated withan opening in the room to second branch in parallel with said firstbranch for supplying power to said compressor motor, a control switch inseries with both branches which when opened suspends operation of bothsaid' compressor motor and said evaporator blower motor, a second switchin said second branch which, when opened whilesaid control switch isclosed, suspends, operation of said compressor motor and thus permitssaid evaporator blower sor motor, and an exhaust damper switch in saidsecond-branch and in series with said second switch, said exhaust damperswitch being operatively connected to said exhaust damper to be openedthereby when said exhaust 'damper is opened whereb opening of saidexhaust damper suspends operation of said compressor motor even thoughsaid secondlswitch may be closed.

2. An air cooled air conditioning unit comprising a condensingcompartment, an evapo-, rating compartment, a condenser blower motor, acondenser blower driven by said condenser blower motor and located insaid condensing compartment, an evaporator blower motor, an evaporatorblowerdriven by said evaporator blower motor andlocated' in saidevaporatingcompartment, an air cooling coil in said evaporatingcompartment, a partition between saidcompartments, an exhaust damperassociated withsaid partition which when closed causes air movementinduced by said evaporator blower motor to traverse said coil and whenopen permits air movement induced by said evaporator blower motor toflow through said condensing compartment, and a circuit for controllingsaid motors comprising a first branch for supplying power to saidevaporator blower motor and a second branch in parallel with said firstbranch for supplying power to said compressor motor, a control switch inseries with both branches which when opened suspends operation -of bothsaid compressor motor and said evaporator blower motor, a second switchin said second branch which, when opened while said control switch isclosed, suspends operation of said compressor motor and thus permitssaid evaporator blower motor to operate independently of said com-- 4.An air cooled air conditioning unit adapted to be mounted on a windowledge or other opening in a wallof a room to be conditioned with a partthereof extending outside of the room, comprising a casing, a partitiondividing said easing 'into an outer condensing compartment and an innerevaporating compartment, means for exhausting vitiated air from the roombeing conditioned comprising an opening in the upper portion of saidpartition through which room air a may be exhausted and an exhaustdamper adjacent said opening for regulating the flow oi air condenserblower and compressor of said assemblower motor in said condensingcompartment,

an evaporator blower and evaporator blower motorin said evaporatingcompartment, an air cooling coilin said evaporating compartment, a

partition between said compartments, an exhaust damper associated withsaid partition which when closed causes air movement induced by saidevaporator blower motor to traverse said coil and when open permits airmovement induced by said evaporator blower motor to flow through saidcondensing compartment, and a circuit for controlling said motorscomprising a first branch -for supplying power to said evaporatorblowermotor and a second branch in parallel with said first branch forsupplying .power to said compressor motor, a control switch in serieswith both branches which when opened suspends operation of both saidcompressor motor and said evaporator blower motor, a second switch insaid second branch which, when opened while said control switch isclosed,' .suspends operation of said compressor motor and thus permitssaid evaporator blower motor to operate independentlyof said compressormotor, and. an exhaust damper switchin said secondbranch and in serieswith said second switch, said exhaust damper switch being operativelyconnected to said exhaust damper to be opened thereby when said exhaustdamper is opened whereby opening of said exhaust damper suspendsoperation oi said compressor motor even though said second switch may beclosed. I

blower and compressor assembly mounted in said condensing compartment,the compressor motor,

bly being operatively connected to each other whereby operation of saidcompressor motor vcauses said'condenser blower to create a flow of airthrough said condensing compartment and said compressor to operate, anevaporator blower and a connected evaporator blower motor mounted insaid evaporating compartment for causing a flow of air through saidevaporating compartment, and a circuit for controlling said motorscomprising a first branch for supplying power to said evaporator blowermotor and a second branch in parallel with said first branch forsupplying power to said compressor motor, a control switch in serieswith both branches which when opened suspends operation of both saidcompressor motor and said evaporator blower motor, a second switch insaid second branch which, when opened while said control switch isclosed, suspends operation of said compressor motor and thus permitssaid evaporator blower motor to operate independently of said compressormotor, and an exhaust damper switch in said second branch and'in serieswith said second switch, said exhaust damper switch being operativelyconnected to said exhaust damper to be opened thereby when said exhaustdamper is opened whereby opening of said exhaust damper suspendsoperation of said compressor motor even though said second switch may beclosed.

BERNARD W. J EWELL.

